1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,960 Hello and welcome to podcast number 11. I hope you all had a really good Halloween. 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:13,160 I must admit ours was very much relaxed. We don't really celebrate Halloween if I'm totally 3 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:22,560 honest. The kids, they're a little bit old now. Halloween is not really something, they're 4 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:30,840 not trick or treaters or anything like that. How are you all? How's everyone doing? I hope 5 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:39,640 I'm finding you all well. I'm going to start today by saying something I say quite regularly 6 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:45,920 on these podcasts and that is thank you to you all. Because again, I mean I'm just seeing 7 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:52,480 my numbers going up and I'm really hoping that the sort of things I'm talking about 8 00:00:52,480 --> 00:01:00,840 is resonating with one or two, maybe more of you and maybe it's helping. I don't know. 9 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:07,320 I'd like to think it is because that's what I'm doing this for. I'm actually not the 10 00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:14,680 sort of person that would normally do this sort of thing. But since my diagnosis I just 11 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:20,400 want to help people. I want to get the word out there. I want people to hear my story 12 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:26,240 because maybe, just maybe that might help other people out there. But yeah genuinely 13 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:34,760 thank you all so much for listening. It's massively appreciated and honestly it is making 14 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:42,600 me very very proud. So thank you, all of you. I really do appreciate it. 15 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:50,440 So today, something I want to talk about is I had a letter from my neurologist the other 16 00:01:50,440 --> 00:02:04,360 day and he's finally given me results from my MRI scan I had a few weeks ago. In a way 17 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:09,240 it's kind of good news. I'll be honest it's kind of good news. What he's saying is there 18 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:20,680 is no new lesions which is great. Absolutely fantastic. But the one thing that's not quite 19 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:33,720 so good is one of the lesions I've got on my spine has shown it's a lot more pronounced. 20 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:40,240 He's told me that he thinks that's probably the reason that I've been struggling a lot 21 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:47,840 more recently. You know the way things have been and I will very very shortly I'll discuss 22 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:55,800 a little bit of what I'm going through currently because it's not been all sweetness and light. 23 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:01,960 I'll be fair it's not all sweetness and light. You know I've mentioned it previously about 24 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:09,280 these sort of pains and whatever I've been getting. But I'll explain a bit more very 25 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:20,280 shortly. But I'm still currently waiting on a date for my lumbar puncture which as I've 26 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:28,920 said previously that is something that the MS MDT have said that I'm going to need before 27 00:03:28,920 --> 00:03:37,920 I can consider the treatment that has been suggested by both my neurologist and my MS 28 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:44,680 nurse. It would be nice if that could speed up a little bit but you know it is what it 29 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:50,320 is. There's other people out there that need these services and I've got to wait my turn 30 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:55,480 which I'm quite prepared to do. It would be nice if that turn was to creep along a little 31 00:03:55,480 --> 00:04:06,520 bit quicker. Maybe that way I can start seeing a bit of calm down time on the way things 32 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:15,520 are currently. But you know one of those things we carry on. What they have said before the 33 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:24,560 lumbar puncture they are going to be getting me in for my blood and my chest x-ray to see 34 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:31,040 whereabouts I am. Because as I've said previously they have told me what treatment really they're 35 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:38,920 thinking I need and currently there is only one treatment that I'm thinking is necessary. 36 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:44,320 I'm currently not going to name that treatment. I'm not going to name it because at the end 37 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:49,840 of the day until all this is confirmed and I've got a date and everything else things 38 00:04:49,840 --> 00:04:56,040 can change. So it would probably be wrong of me currently to name that treatment. But 39 00:04:56,040 --> 00:05:02,480 any of you out there that are going through this you've probably got a pretty good idea 40 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:11,200 what I'm alluding to. But again all I can do is sit back and wait. They're saying around 41 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:19,080 a 10 week wait for the lumbar puncture. So probably going to be looking into New Year 42 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:27,960 now by the time everything is said and done and I'm aware of what they can do to try and 43 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:35,920 help. So you know waiting game. I've had a waiting game since the end of February this 44 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:41,440 year. This year sorry end of February this year. We're pushing towards the end of the 45 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:52,000 year now. But yeah it would just be nice to see an end to the waiting. But currently in 46 00:05:52,000 --> 00:06:01,000 my current situation I am noticing as I said previously a lot more pains, new pains in 47 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:10,720 areas that have previously been an issue. So these pains are actually really quite bad. 48 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:20,440 I'll be totally fair they're really quite bad and at times they're making me struggle. 49 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:26,600 Bless her this morning. Lisa noticed I was still asleep. She noticed that I was wintcing 50 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:34,080 while I was asleep. I was in quite a bit of pain and actually I did wake up for want of 51 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:39,240 a better term very sore. That doesn't quite do it justice. I will be fair to you it doesn't 52 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:48,000 do it justice at all but it wasn't nice. But these aren't, they're not pains in new areas. 53 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:56,640 These are pains in areas that I've had for a long time now and they're just getting worse. 54 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:03,080 Which I'm sure we've all dealt with but it's something currently that's quite new to me 55 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:08,840 and I have to be honest with you I'm struggling with it. I'd be lying to you if I said I 56 00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:16,680 wasn't but yeah I am struggling with it. I have as I said previously I've upped me my 57 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:24,560 pain killing medication. I now take two tablets in the morning and three of a night. To be 58 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:29,440 fair I probably could do with upping that again but I'm desperately trying not to. I'm 59 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:38,160 trying to just fight through and see where we can get to without trying to rely on painkillers. 60 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:51,920 Again coming into the memory aspect. I know a lot of people have issues with memory but 61 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:59,560 I'm noticing it an awful lot at the minute and I'll be totally honest with you. I'd 62 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:09,560 forget my head right now if it wasn't screwed on. I really really would because literally 63 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:15,520 I can put something on the table, I can turn round and literally within a few seconds I 64 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:19,640 genuinely can't remember what I was doing. And it's not all the time, it's not something 65 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:29,840 that's happening regularly but it's happening enough for it to be a real frustration. I'm 66 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:40,880 getting a little bit weirded out by it because I'm just not understanding why it's happening. 67 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:44,760 As I say I know I've got lesions on the brain, I don't know how many they haven't told me 68 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:53,960 but it's becoming really quite odd. That's one thing for getting a conversation out in 69 00:08:53,960 --> 00:09:01,000 two or three days ago. Yeah I get that, that's fine. Everyone can have that kind of issue 70 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:09,400 sometimes but forgetting things that went on literally a few seconds ago and again it's 71 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:16,440 not all the time, it's not all the time but it's happening enough for it to be really 72 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:26,560 annoying. But you know again it's one of those where I'm accepting it, I don't like it, I'm 73 00:09:26,560 --> 00:09:32,120 accepting it and I'm fighting through it and I will continue to do so because quite honestly 74 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:39,120 I've said it once, I've said it twice, I'll say it again. I've got MS, it has not got 75 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:47,760 me. And yeah I know it's easy to say that but quite honestly I have no intention of 76 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:53,200 giving in to this thing. It wants a fight, it's got to fight. I'm a fighter, I will always 77 00:09:53,200 --> 00:10:01,880 be a fighter. This thing's got battle on its hands, it really has and I am not giving in. 78 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:09,640 Hard hard fact that I am not giving in. But on a lighter note because I don't want to 79 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:15,840 be all negative and pessimistic and all the rest of it all the time. I know I've mentioned 80 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:21,520 again previously that I was looking at starting playing guitar again, it's been many years 81 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:27,200 but I actually went to the guitar shop yesterday in our town and I've actually found a nice 82 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:33,200 new toy that I quite fancy, not expensive at all. I don't see the point in spending 83 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:40,960 a massive amount of money, not worth it. I've found this really nice new toy. And let's 84 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:45,560 get Christmas and New Year out of the way because I think Christmas and New Year is 85 00:10:45,560 --> 00:10:52,040 probably a little bit more important than me having a new toy at this stage. But we'll 86 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:55,720 get Christmas and New Year out of the way and I'll be nipping into the guitar shop 87 00:10:55,720 --> 00:11:01,480 and I will be treating myself. Don't you worry, I won't be playing guitar on any of these 88 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:09,200 podcasts. I do not want to subject any of you to that. What I will say right now is 89 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:16,240 Lisa, kids, I am really sorry for when it happens. I will try my best not to be too 90 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:24,400 loud but I can't make any promises. I literally can't make any promises. Once the groove gets 91 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:31,840 me I might accidentally crank the volume up. It's got to happen. It's got to happen. 92 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:38,600 I'll try and make it happen when no one else is in the house. Keyword there try. No promises. 93 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:45,000 Absolutely no promises to be made. But yeah, I mean that was quite good. I quite enjoyed 94 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:54,280 it except on the way home. I was on my scooter on Eleanor and it started absolutely hammering 95 00:11:54,280 --> 00:12:00,480 down. So I put my waterproof poncho on and because it was raining so heavy and the wind 96 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:05,400 was quite bad the poncho was actually blowing up into my face. I physically couldn't see 97 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:13,040 where I was going. I actually had to take the poncho off. I was soaked by the time I 98 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:18,720 got home. Literally I was dripping. Yeah naturally I was a little bit frustrated. I'd be lying 99 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:26,480 if I said I wasn't. Because my jeans were soaked through. Even down to my socks and 100 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:31,520 my underwear. I know it's an over share but it is what it is. I was soaked all the way 101 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:37,600 through. But it was funny. That was on me. I decided to go out to the guitar shop. Glorious 102 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:43,520 sunshine at the time. I stopped in at work and had a chat with my mates at work. But 103 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:48,360 yeah I probably stayed out a little bit too long and the rain decided. The shower riding 104 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:55,480 in the morning wasn't enough. I needed a second shower. Don't know why. But I had got one 105 00:12:55,480 --> 00:13:01,120 and yeah I had to get changed. But it was worth it because it was a good little jump 106 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:11,000 out. Now something I really want to talk about now is the future of this podcast. Because 107 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:18,880 I've sort of got myself onto a couple of Facebook groups for podcast hosts. And again I don't 108 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:25,480 really see myself as a podcast host because this podcast is only very small. And really 109 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:33,800 it's just for me to get thoughts out there and try and help other people that have got 110 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:39,740 this condition or another condition. Or just people that want to listen to someone talking 111 00:13:39,740 --> 00:13:48,720 rubbish about what they've got going on in life. But I want this podcast to go forward. 112 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:57,360 I intend to push on with it. I am completely, I'm 100% committed to making this podcast 113 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:01,960 very very long term. It's not something that's going to go away. I'm not going to go away 114 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:08,200 with it. I am going to push this on. So at some point in the near future I'm going to 115 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:13,440 start looking at things like editing software. Because I want to start editing these podcasts. 116 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:18,480 I want to make your listening experience a lot better. I want to make it so that when 117 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:22,740 you're listening in you're thinking wow actually he's taking a lot of time over this. He wants 118 00:14:22,740 --> 00:14:30,560 to make things better for us listening in. Because I do. I want this to be something 119 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:35,640 you're all going to enjoy listening to. Because I enjoy talking to it. I enjoy talking to 120 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:41,040 you all. I enjoy getting my thoughts out there. And not every day, not every podcast going 121 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:49,040 forward is going to be solely about MS. It's not all going to be doom and gloom. These 122 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:56,440 podcasts I want to make them so that you're going to enjoy listening. Because I am, as 123 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:03,360 I say, I'm 100% committed to it. And today I've done something a bit different. Normally 124 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:11,480 when I do these podcasts I'll just sit down and I'll talk. I'll just talk about what's 125 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:19,160 on my mind. And yeah I enjoyed that. But I've taken some advice from these other podcast 126 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:25,720 hosts on this site I'm on. I've actually kind of scripted today's episode a little 127 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:32,240 bit. And yeah I've gone off script a little bit from time to time. But actually predominantly 128 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:37,920 I've scripted everything. And I'm hoping, I'm actually hoping that makes your listening 129 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:46,520 experience a bit better. Because I'm not just rambling on to nothing. I'm not just talking 130 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:52,800 and saying whatever's popping in my brain at that second. What I'm actually doing is 131 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:59,180 I'm kind of reading from a script but at the same time also adding little bits in. So actually 132 00:15:59,180 --> 00:16:06,600 I really do hope that today has come across a little bit different. It may or may not 133 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:10,520 have done. If you're on any of my social medias please feel free to give me some constructive 134 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:16,320 criticism because again I'm doing this not just for me, I'm doing this for you all as 135 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:25,300 well. So give me a shout. As I say I'm on TikTok. I'm on Instagram. Mike's underscore 136 00:16:25,300 --> 00:16:31,600 ms underscore journey for both of those handles. Come across, come talk to me, come and have 137 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:39,920 a conversation and say I'm quite an open book. As long as you're speaking to me with respect 138 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:47,520 believe me you will get exactly the same in return. And if I'm in any position to have 139 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:54,940 a long conversation with you I will. As long as the conversation is respectful. Again I 140 00:16:54,940 --> 00:17:00,840 have no issue with someone coming up and giving me a bit of constructive criticism because 141 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:10,440 again I'm here for you all as well as me. So that will do for today. Again I want to 142 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:17,200 thank you all for listening because genuinely it's you that makes this show. It really is 143 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:24,920 and I'm hoping I can do you all proud. Well have a great day and I look forward to speaking 144 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:29,320 to you all again soon. You have a good one. Cheers. Bye bye.